bring back some memories

November 4, 2014

The Wizard of Oz is a 1939 American musical fantasy film produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, and the most well-known and commercially successful adaptation based on the 1900 novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum.

Notable for its use of Technicolor, fantasy storytelling, musical score and unusual characters, over the years it has become one of the best known of all films and part of American popular culture. It also featured in cinema what may be for the time the most elaborate use of character make-ups and special effects. Below is a collection of 27 black and white behind the scenes photos during filming of The Wizard of Oz.

Judy Garland as Dorothy Gale, Ray Bolger as the Scarecrow, Jack Haley as the Tin Man, Frank Morgan as the Wizard, Bert Lahr as the Cowardly Lion and Terry as Toto with an oversized prop book of "The Wizard of Oz."

Judy Garland, dressed as Dorothy, poses with a turkey to promote the movie during Thanksgiving.

Judy Garland and Terry pose for a publicity shot.

Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney set out for a "Wizard of Oz" tour at a Pasadena, California, train station in 1939.

The actors who portrayed the Munchkins aboard a bus headed to the studio for filming.

Judy Garland reads a copy of Life magazine on set as three of the actors playing Munchkins stand by.

A wardrobe test shot of Judy Garland in a rejected Dorothy costume with a blonde wig.

Frank Morgan as the Wizard.

Margaret Hamilton poses as the Wicked Witch for a publicity shot. The character's hair was changed for the final production of the film.

Frank Morgan as the Guardian of the Gates.

Karl Kosiczky dressed as the Munchkin Herald during a wardrobe test.

Ray Bolger in a reversed shot during a wardrobe and makeup test.

Gale Sondergaard as the Wicked Witch during a makeup and wardrobe test.

A full wardrobe and hair test shot for Judy Garland as Dorothy Gale.

Judy Garland as Dorothy Gale, Ray Bolger as the Scarecrow, Bert Lahr as the Cowardly Lion and Jack Haley as the Tin Man.

The beauty parlor set from the Emerald City.

Judy Garland as Dorothy Gale and Ray Bolger as the Scarecrow, with Jack Haley as the Tin Man during a rehearsal.

It's a tragedy that the Romanov family was slaughtered the way they were. It's too bad they couldn't, or wouldn't leave in time. They could have resided in England or Europe. (Yes they were rich and there were a ton of poor Russians, but it's not as if the Russians had it any better under Stalin. And geez, the Tsar didn't starve and murder the Ukrainians. I went to the USSR in 1985, the Russian people still had hard lives, in general. )